U.S. patent application number 14/450853 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-20 for eutectic fuel cell.
This patent application is currently assigned to Solar-Tectic, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Ashok Chaudhari, Karin Chaudhari, Pia Chaudhari. Invention is credited to Praveen Chaudhari.
Application Number | 20140338799 14/450853 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51894820 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140338799 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chaudhari; Praveen |
November 20, 2014 |
EUTECTIC FUEL CELL
Abstract
Eutectic fuel cells are prepared by depositing a
metal-semiconductor eutectic alloy over non-platinum electrodes on
a substrate. In some embodiments the electrodes are the same metal
and in other cases the electrodes are dissimilar.
Inventors: |
Chaudhari; Praveen;
(US) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chaudhari; Ashok
Chaudhari; Karin
Chaudhari; Pia |
Briarcliff Manor
Briarcliff Manor
Briarcliff Manor |
NY
NY
NY |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Solar-Tectic, LLC
Briarcliff Manor
NY
|
Family ID: |
51894820 |
Appl. No.: |
14/450853 |
Filed: |
August 4, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61892117 |
Oct 17, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
148/537 ;
427/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02E 60/50 20130101;
H01M 4/8882 20130101; H01M 4/92 20130101; H01M 4/9041 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
148/537 ;
427/115 |
International
Class: |
H01M 4/88 20060101
H01M004/88; H01M 4/90 20060101 H01M004/90 |
Claims
1. A method of creating a eutectic fuel cell comprising: providing
a substrate having a non-platinum electrodes; depositing a
metal-semiconductor eutectic alloy on the electrodes and the
substrate; heating the metal-semiconductor eutectic alloy, the
electrodes and the substrate to a eutectic temperature, wherein a
thin semiconductor film is grown between the electrodes.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal-semiconductor eutectic
alloy is Au--Si.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thin semiconductor film
becomes enlarged.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are Au.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said metal-semiconductor eutectic
alloy is heated to the eutectic temperature of said alloy.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are dissimilar
metals having different temperatures.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are dissimilar
metals having different metal-semiconductor contact.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein crystallization occurs at one
metal electrode at a time.
9. A method of creating a eutectic fuel cell comprising: providing
a substrate having electrodes; depositing an amorphous Si film
between the electrodes on the substrate; heating the substrate and
electrodes causing an amorphous to crystalline transformation on
said amorphous Si film, wherein said amorphous Si film will have
grain boundary perpendicular to the electrodes.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodes are Au.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodes are dissimilar
metals having different temperatures.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrodes are dissimilar
metals having different metal-semiconductor contact.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein crystallization occurs at one
metal electrode at a time.
14. A method of creating a eutectic fuel cell comprising: providing
a substrate having a first electrode and a second electrode, said
first and second electrodes being dissimilar electrodes; depositing
an Si--Au film between the dissimilar electrodes on the substrate;
heating the Si--Au film and the substrate with the dissimilar
electrodes to a first eutectic temperature of said first electrode
and then a second eutectic temperature of said second electrode;
precipitating the Si at a rate determined by diffusion of the Au
through Au film; crystallizing said Si; and processing said Si at a
temperature higher than the first eutectic temperature.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrodes are dissimilar
metals having different temperatures.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrodes are Au and Ag.
Description
PRIORITY AND RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/892,117, filed Oct. 17, 2013 entitled
"Eutectic Fuel Cell," which is hereby incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to producing inexpensive and
more efficient fuel cells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Fuel cells are an important enabling technology for the
nation's energy portfolio and have the potential to revolutionize
the way we power our nation, offering cleaner, more-efficient
alternatives to the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels.
Fuel cells have the potential to replace the internal-combustion
engine in vehicles and provide power in stationary and portable
power applications because they are energy-efficient, clean, and
fuel-flexible.
[0004] A fuel cell is a device that uses a fuel and oxygen to
create electricity by an electrochemical process. A single fuel
cell consists of an electrolyte and two catalyst-coated electrodes
(a porous anode and cathode). Each of the electrodes is coated on
one side with a catalyst layer that speeds up the reaction of
oxygen and hydrogen. It is usually made of platinum powder very
thinly coated onto carbon paper or cloth. The catalyst is rough and
porous so the maximum surface area of the platinum can be exposed
to the hydrogen or oxygen. Platinum-group metals are critical to
catalyzing reactions in the fuel cell, but they are very expensive.
The U.S. Department of Energy's goal is to reduce the use of
platinum in fuel cell cathodes by at least a factor of 20 or
eliminate it altogether to decrease the cost of fuel cells to
consumers.
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide
electrodes for fuel cells that are made of non-platinum material,
such as Au, Ni, Al, etc. It is yet another object of this invention
to provide a method for growing a thin film between the
non-platinum electrodes, consisting of Si, Ge, etc., using
eutectics.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides fuel cells created on
non-platinum electrodes. In one example the invention grows thin
semiconductor films such as silicon between non-platinum electrodes
such as gold.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0007] FIG. 1A shows a substrate and electrodes.
[0008] FIG. 1B shows a metal-semiconductor film disposed on the
substrate and electrodes.
[0009] FIG. 1C shows the film on the substrate and electrodes.
[0010] FIG. 2A shows a substrate with dissimilar electrodes.
[0011] FIG. 2B shows a substrate with dissimilar electrodes and
Si--Au eutectic alloy film between them.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] FIGS. 1A-C show an embodiment of creating an improved
eutectic fuel cell. Here a thin semiconductor film 130 such as
silicon is produced between non-platinum electrodes 120 such as
gold on a substrate 110. In order to do this, an Au--Si thin film
130 is deposited over the gold electrodes 120. The substrate 100,
electrodes 120 and film 130 are then heated to a eutectic
temperature (Te) thus causing the Si to become enlarged.
[0013] In another embodiment, amorphous silicon can be deposited
between the gold pads with amorphous to crystalline transformation
taking place to produce a polycrystalline film of silicon. The film
of Si will have grain boundary (gb) perpendicular to the gold
pads.
[0014] Now looking at FIG. 2 another embodiment is shown where
dissimilar metals are used in order to have different
temperature/and or different metal-semiconductor contact. In this
case, crystallization starts at the Au--Si interface and proceeds
to the other electrode. This ensures that the crystallization
proceeds from one electrode only.
[0015] In another embodiment, Au is deposited on Ag and as Ag
diffuses through Au the Si--Au eutectic will change from
363.degree. C. towards 835.degree. C. which will precipitate Si out
at a rate determined by diffusion of Au through the Au film. A slow
way of crystallizing Si and subsequently Si can be processed at a
higher temperature.
[0016] While the present invention has been described in
conjunction with specific embodiments, those of normal skill in the
art will appreciate the modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the present
invention. Such modifications and variations are envisioned to be
within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *